Ahmed Elmohamady: Salah not ready to win Ballon d’Or

Ahmed Elmohamady

Wednesday May 23, 2018. 10:28

Egyptian defender Ahmed Elmohamady says his international teammate and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah is not ready to win the Ballon d’Or.

Elmohamady believes Salah needs to remain consistent for the next couple of years to win the prize.

Salah has had a spectacular first season at Anfield where he won both the PFA player of the year and the English Premier League player of the season awards.

He also won the Golden Boot accolade after scoring 32 goals in the Premier League, breaking the league’s goal-scoring record in a 38-game season.

Moreover, his performances made many believe that he could be a major contender for the next Ballon d’Or alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

But according to Elmohamady, the 25-year-old still needs some time to win the prestigious individual award.

“I would love to see that, but I also feel that people are in a hurry a bit when it comes to Salah and the Ballon d’Or,” Elmohamady told Sport360.

“I think for Salah to reach the Ballon d’Or, and be on par with Ronaldo and Messi, he has to be at the level he is at right now for five or six more years, to show consistency so he could reach the level of the Ballon d’Or that currently includes Ronaldo and Messi.

“But I would love to see Salah part of this conversation, and it would make me very proud. He’s a great player and a great person. But from my point of view, and anyone who knows football well, will say the same thing.

"He needs to sustain this level for five or six more years to win the Ballon d’Or. I hope he keeps his level and hopefully that prize will be his one day.

“I’m not that surprised. When Salah was with Chelsea, people criticised him for leaving, but I said that he never got his chance to play games the way he is now with Liverpool or how he was with Fiorentina and Roma."

Salah netted the Pharaoh's winning goal against Congo to secure a spot in the 2018 FIFA World Cup for the first time in 28 years.